According to RÚV (the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service), SLAYER is suing the organizers of Iceland's Secret Solstice music festival, claiming it hasn't been fully paid for appearing at last year's event. The legendary thrash metal band, which is in the middle of its farewell world tour, says it is still owed around $134,000 (16 million Icelandic króna). The district commissioner of the city of Reykjavík has twice unsuccessfully seized on Solstice Productions, which has handled Secret Solstice's operations. Local media has reported that a significant number of people and companies have not been paid for their work at the company. Now the company Live Events has taken over the festival's operations and has made a new contract with the city. SLAYER's lawyer, Jón Gunnar Ásbjörnsson, reportedly wrote a letter to the city on the matter, stating, among other things, that in addition to having not paid the aforementioned claim, the representatives of the festival have retained 20 percent of the band's income to pay withholding tax to the tax authorities. According to Bjarni Brynjólfsson, information officer of the City of Reykjavík, the matter is under review and will be discussed in the City Council next week. For last year's event, Secret Solstice offered an ultra-luxurious $1 million ticket, which included transportation in a private jet, daily access to a glam squad, a VIP yacht party, a helicopter tour over the glaciers and volcanoes of South Iceland. Last November, it was reported that the 2019 edition of Secret Solstice would be smaller than in previous years. This was decided by a majority of the city council at a council meeting after public complaints had risen due to the fact that the festival takes place in a quiet residential area.
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